Speak softly and carry a rugged bag

We get tired of all those brash billionaires we see on TV and the gossip pages, yakking about their latest skyscraper or “can’t miss” investment. Give us those bashful billionaires of days gone by, with their sack lunches, corner barber haircuts and unassuming air. This is a briefcase for them; and for you, if you prefer fine craftsmanship to flash. It’s ruggedly handsome, thick cut full-grain cowhide – you can almost imagine it slung over some cowpoke’s saddle.

Loyal customer, very dissappointed in this product. I used it as my briefcase, was less than a year before the strap had broken and was unfixable. The handle started to crack and break down almost immediately as is now completely split in half. Spend your money on something else.

I loved this briefcase, but it broke my heart. It is made of full grain, high quality leather backed with the firehose canvas. The leather will last forever. The problem is the metal hardware. I don't know if they ran out of money or what happened, but the metal hardware is of poor quality overall and doesn't match the high quality of the leather. It is actually of such poor quality that it ruins the functionality of the case.

The catches for the spring loaded buckles that hold the case closed are held on with bent metal tabs, and have pulled out multiple times. The buckles can be bent easily with the fingers, and warp under normal use. The hooks that hold the strap on both broke within 9 months of gentle use.

Sure I can return it for a refund, which I appreciate. But, I expected a high-quality item that would last me years. This is not it. This is not what I expect from Duluth Trading.

My wife gave me my brief case since I am too cheap to spend this much on one. I do not like the outside pockets not having a flap to secure items stored inside them. The rings that where the straps snap into are easily pulled out and I have had to make repairs after only a few weeks of use. I have learned not to put too much in the compartments because of this. I had to cut down on the amount of items I can carry with me due to this. I have gotten a lot of compliments on by case and I warn people who think about getting one not to overfill the pockets.

I don't know what people are complaining about! Because I couldn't make up my mind between "Bashful" and "Modest" I drove to the nearest store to personally inspect both bags to figure out what suits hubby best. This bag has so many nice pockets and there IS adequate spacing to fit various items. YES some of them aren't closed but that is easily remedied by simply putting all your loose stuff in a pencil case or something that fits in the pockets. I saved up over the last 90 or so days to get this for him as an anniversary present and it was worth every penny! It's so pretty...er... I mean HANDSOME.

I've owned this bag for almost a year now, so I feel confident I've run it through the paces. On the plus side, it's a solid, well-built bag. Sadly, it's not something I'd recommend due to a few key issues.

My biggest complaint with the bag is that it won't stand up on it's own. The A-frame design causes the front pocket to curl up at the bottom as there is a lack of structure. There is NOTHING worse than a briefcase that won't stand up on it's own.

The arrangement of pockets inside is lacking as well. The interior pockets are 'flat-sewn', so anything of bulk will stretch them out. Nothing is zippered, and contents inside are left to float around. I've had items slip out when the bag is laid down (ie, through airport security, because the bag won't stand up - see above).

The front two pockets are similar - the only closure on them is a small leather strap that goes over the middle of the pocket - unless it's a large item which is placed inside, it's not very secure.

Those two items are important enough that I wouldn't recommend this bag to others. I think it's got a great start - the leather is robust, it's put up with plenty of abuse to this point, and it's well built. But unfortunately, a bag that tips over has pockets that I can't secure is a deal breaker for me.

Nicely made and fits my personality. All my teaching materials fit in it and it protects the expensive books I lug around. Some of the pockets could be a little bigger. Was surprised to find I didn't have to unbuckle the straps to get inside, nice touch!